The Council sent round an email to councillors last night highlighting a Met Office weather warning of possible flooding in Reading. This was confirmed by the grim local weather forecast and brought back feelings of deja vu.
I got in touch with constituents on Bede Walk (off Northumberland Avenue, to the South of Redlands ward), who have been flooded a number of times. They do not live on flood plain or near the Thames, but the footpath is poorly designed and water run-off often ends up flowing into their houses and gardens when there's been a heavy downpour. The Council has accepted that work needs to be done (after all it is responsible for the highway), but as yet funding has not been secured to carry out the necessary work...
Kirsten raised the issue on residents' behalf at a recent public meeting on the subject back in December (when I was laid up with flu!) and we had hoped the issue would be sorted before the next spell of wet weather. Some hope.
Watching the news headlines last night residents I spoke to were very concerned about the possible risk to their properties. As a precaution, I got in touch with the Council's emergency call centre to request sand bags and was told that this wouldn't be possible because 'Bede Walk was 'not on the priority list' - this is despite me raising the issue directly with officers several times last year. Residents also contacted the Council and were told much the same thing - hardly reassuring! I was also told that 'all drainage problems had been sorted'. With the best will in the world I found this hard to believe.
Anyway, I'm glad to say that after some persistence on my and resident's part sand bags were eventually delivered to *some* residents this morning.
Fingers crossed the Council's database of properties at risk from flooding has now been updated to include Bede Walk - at least until they get round to sorting out the footpath - which has got to be the longterm solution to this ongoing problem .
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